Patriarch of Antioch: Anti-church draft laws destroy cultural identity of Ukrainians (VIDEO)

On May 22 His Beatitude Patriarch of Antioch and All East John X directed a letter to His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus Kirill in which he condemned anti-church initiatives, directed against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It is reported by the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

"We strongly condemn every step that affects the independence, reliability, integrity and freedom of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church," the letter says.

The Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Church called the bills to be condemned. "They are aimed at increasing tensions and changing the cultural identity of the entire Ukrainian society," said His Beatitude Patriarch John.

He also attested to the position of the Antiochian Church on "the support of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church recognized by all Orthodox Autocephalous Churches."